this ain't a fairy tale
by daughter-of-october
Summary: [Characters: Lyon Vastia, Sherry Blendy and many more] # Summary: But this was okay. # Pirate AU
1. ain't no use in complaining

**_this ain't a fairy tale_**

**Characters**: Lyon Vastia, Sherry Blendy and many more

**Summary**: But this was okay.

* * *

Chapter I

_**ain't no use in complaining**_

**Characters:** Sherry Blendy, Gajeel Redfox, Juvia Lockser, Levy McGarden, Gray Fullbuster, Jellal Fernandes

**Summary:** 'Cause we all got a job to do.

* * *

"Ya're the newbie, huh?"

Crown Princess Sherry of the noble house of Blendy nearly screamed. She had passed out when pirates had attacked her ship, maybe out of fear, maybe because of the tissue one of them – a ridiculously handsome if a little rugged man – had waved around in front of her. Now, she was facing a man twice her size and her weight. The stranger wore a ridiculously high amount of piercings and a blue bandana held back his spiky black hair. His clothes were dirty but of high quality, made for men who worked hard.

The princess herself was wearing a pink dress consisting of a wide skirt and a tight bodice with thousands of tiny pearls. Her hairdo had been destroyed as she had been kidnapped so her deep pink hair was cascading down her back. Yet Sherry was no damsel in distress. The leery pirate did not even know what was happening when she punched his jaw.

"Have you any idea who I am?" she snapped, holding her hand to her chest as she watched with a certain smugness that he had taken a step back.

"The crown princess of Cerasis," he said as he rolled his eyes. "The name is Gajeel, by the way. First mate under Captain Lyon but we're all sailing under the Ice Flower's flag."

The princess gasped. The pirates of the Ice Flower were notorious. They had, according to the rumours, stolen the treasure of the country of Crustallum, a country torn apart by a civil war as the empress-to-be had disappeared twenty years ago. On the other hand, among the pirates, the Ice Flower's men were reputed to be rather chivalrous – at least for pirate standards – so a young woman would always prefer to get kidnapped by them.

"So, Mister Gajeel," the princess started, keeping her composure because freaking out would not be wise and would not make it likely that she would ever reach her original destination. "Why did you and your crew attack my ship?"

"The Dame said so and once you met her, you'll know why no one is 'nough of a moron to mess with 'er," he said. "She got quite a mean temper."

The captain of the Ice Flower's pirates was indeed a woman? Sherry had heard the vague rumours, rumours about the ruthless captain who had started his or rather her organisation a few years ago. By now, the Ice Flower pirates dominated five of the seven seas and their fleet was rumoured to have at least twenty bigger and smaller ships.

The cabin's door was opened as a blue-haired woman entered, binoculars firmly grasped in her hand. She wore black pants, how scandalous, and a wide red vest over a simple white shirt. On her wrist, a bracelet that held the Ice Flower's symbol announced her loyalty. "Gajeel," she addressed the man, a faint hint of the rich people's accent lacing her voice. "Juvia saw the Excalibur. We will soon catch up with them."

"So we are close to the Rosengarten, aren't we?" the man asked, straightening himself. "Very well. I will report to the captain. I believe you look forward to rejoin your own crew?"

The woman nodded slowly. "Juvia has missed Captain Gray dearly," she said slowly. "Oh – Princess Sherry," she said with a short curtsey. "Juvia is the navigator of Captain Gray but Captain Lyon asked her to assist him and Gajeel during the manoeuvre which was necessary to get the Princess. Juvia will now get the Princess some food."

"A woman as a navigator?" Sherry inquired, feeling quite fascinated.

"Juvia is the best damn navigator on all of the seven seas," Gajeel said, pride in his voice. "You wouldn't have guessed it but not too long ago, she was some dainty little noblewoman who joined the Ice Flower because she had no where else to go. Now she is fought over on all of our ships because she is the best guarantee to reach the destination safely one can get."

The woman nodded slowly. "Juvia works usually on Excalibur," she said slowly. "But as Juvia's captain could do with Jellal's help this time, she changed ships. She does not like it all that much. The Excalibur is Juvia's home as much as Gajeel is Juvia's brother."

"By the way, Princess Dollface," Gajeel said as he crossed his arms. "We got your cousin as well. The exact reasons behind all of this will be disclosed by the Dame once we reach her ship. And goddamn, I hope that the Salamander finally sunk."

"What a _nasty_ thing to say, Gajeel," Juvia scolded gently as she hit him upon the head with her binoculars. "But well, Princess Chelia is on board as well. Juvia has left her with Miss Levy so she will be more than fine."

"You got the shrimp to babysit?"

"Who are you calling a shrimp?" The newcomer was a woman who was indeed very short. Her vibrant blue hair was held back by a bandana and she wore an orange tunic and white pants with a blue belt wrapped around her waist, a belt which held a gun. Her cheeks were crimson and she pressed a book to her chest. So she was a scholar. Sherry had not expected someone who was studious on a pirate ship but generally, she had not expected any women.

"You, bookworm," the man deadpanned. "So did the other girl wake up too?"

"She did," the short woman replied. "And she is asking after the Princess. So I was checking whether she is awake as well. I do not know why Lyon insisted on the use of chloroform but…"

"Orders are orders, Miss Levy," Juvia said, her lips forming a smile. "Also, Gajeel, didn't you mean to report to the captain?"

"Oh yeah," he said. "Shrimp, Juvia – how about you help the princesses to get ready. You are better at that woman stuff than I am."

"Juvia knows," the navigator said, now frowning. "Gajeel ripped out lots of her hair when he tried braiding it while he was drunk. Miss Levy missed quite a show."

"How many times do I have to tell you that you should call me just Levy?" the shorter woman sighed before she mentioned towards the door. "Hurry up, Gajeel. I will go get Princess Chelia."

Juvia giggled as the duo left and tears of laughter ran down her face. "Gajeel and Levy, so predictable," she muttered under her breath. "Ah, Princess, shall Juvia brush your hair and put it back up? Juvia is sorry – neither Captain Lyon nor Gajeel were careful with her."

* * *

Meanwhile, on the Excalibur.

"Why did she send Lyon?"

Captain Gray Fullbuster, a tall man with black hair, turned around to face his replacement navigator, Jellal Fernandes. "Because my mother's ways are always complicated," he said with a shrug. "Also, it was time for Lyon to make himself useful again. He has been doing nothing lately, nothing but some minor reconnaissance jobs."

"You are bitter because you are stuck with me instead of with your lady love."

"And you want to go back to the Titania where Erza'd let you actually stay up late at night to do what you are best at, travelling by night," the captain replied. "But get this: the Lamia is catching up with us. We will reach our homeport soon and you'll be back with your captain."

"This navigator switching is getting on my nerves," the blue-haired man said as he rubbed the eye adored with a rather foreign tattoo. "Nothing against you, Gray, but there's a good reason why I prefer the Titania over your ship."

"The ship or the woman, Jellal?" the captain smirked before he turned his attention back at the sea. "We will reach the shelter in three hours. Until now, you will be by the steering wheel. I am quite sure that Macao and Romeo won't say something against some charming company. And I got tired off your Erza this, Erza that talk."

"As I am tired of your Juvia talk," the navigator said with a smirk. "Time for everyone to get back to their respective crew, huh? I am quite sure that she's missing you too."

Gray rolled his eyes as he listened to the footsteps that slowly faded away. Jellal was a weird person, rather secretive about his past. Well, many among them were. Gray's past was well-known because he was the leader's son – not by blood. But everyone knew that Gray had been a servant boy in Crustallum's royal palace and that the leader had taken him with her when she had arrived to steal the country's treasure. Lyon had been already there, back then, having been a cook-to-be on the ship the captain had stolen previously.

Not that Gray or Lyon had any advantages. They had earned their own ships the same way Laxus Dreyar had earned his Thor, the same way Erza Scarlet had gotten the command over her Titania. They had never been favoured by their mother. Yet the only person with even more influence than the brothers was the leader's daughter – a daughter by blood. Ultear was her mother's most priced treasure, not the gold she had stolen from Crustallum two decades ago.

Everyone knew this.

Everyone also knew that Ultear was sometimes rather bitter about her mother's decision to be a pirate instead of simply using her power on the seven seas to take over a country torn apart by a civil war, like for example Crustallum which was also the leader's homeland.

Gray groaned as he remembered his sister's fury when she had not been chosen to kidnap the Princess. Ultear would rage for at least another week. He sometimes really hated his family.


	2. demons from your past

**_demons from your past_**

**Characters**: Gildarts Clive, Ur Milkovich

**Summary**: He knows where she comes from.

* * *

In a bar in a small town port, Admiral Gildarts Clive was staring at his empty glass. It had not been long since his only daughter, the only reminder of his late wife, had run off to join some pirate crew. He could hardly imagine his dainty and polite daughter on such a ship. What made things worse, she was now sailing under the flag of the Ice Flower which was by far the biggest and most dangerous organisation on the seven seas.

It was safe to say that Gildarts was a heart-broken man – especially since ten years ago, he had had the chance to bring the Ice Flower's captain to justice. The woman – and he was one of the few who knew for sure that it was indeed a woman – had been injured after a swordfight with the captain of the Raven and against his better judgement, he had let her get away, had even provided some bandages for her and her crew. Well, mostly for her crew. Prideful and stubborn as the woman was, she had not accepted any medical treatment for herself until her crew was safe. Now, the woman he had saved had taken his daughter.

She had stolen the light of his future. She would pay.

Years back, long before he had joined the marine, he had worked in Crustallum as captain of the royal fleet. He had been of minor nobility so he had met the princess who had been on her way to become empress a few times before she had disappeared after the betrayal of Brago and especially of King Deliora. Gildarts had never met someone like the princess, like the empress-to-be before or afterwards and sometimes, he liked to blame his lapse of judgement in his behaviour towards the captain of the Ice Bloom on the faint resemblance between his once-princess and the pirate.

Yet if he could change anything, he would have arrested her back then.

She was not his empress. She was not the woman who had once been a mischievous who had sneaked more than just one bottle of wine from her father's cellar to test what it tasted like. He missed her, sometimes. She had been a friend if an empress-to-be had friends. He remembered the way she had always gotten closer to him than it was proper for a princess. He had been a young man back then, easily deceived and manipulated by a beautiful woman.

And being of service to the princess had always been highest priority to his family. But the service the princess had required had never been assassination of people she disliked. Princess Urania of the Rosenboom house had asked for one thing: a friend. And he had been her friend. He had let her sail ships of the royal navy, had taught her how a crew was organised. She had liked to learn new things, things she could never use as an empress.

He had quickly become her partner-in-crime but he had had no reason to mind that. So why had they fallen apart, again? It had been because of that stupid, stupid Bane man – the only man who had ever dared to court the princess. He had not been jealous. He had been highly concerned. The princess, his princess had been a woman of light and laughter – and the foul man had nearly managed to extinguish her flames.

But even with Bane around, he had been her best friend. A best friend who had not been able to protect her from her sad, sad fate. He had offered to claim to be the father when she had become pregnant after Bane had forced himself onto her – because the real father had been dead. But she had declined, had carried her burden silently – and she had loved her daughter. He remembered this just too well. Ultear had been everything to her, everything she had never loved, everything on her mind.

He still could not believe that he had ever allowed her to sail to Brago without a proper escort but then he remembered that Princess Urania had never been one to listen to other people as she had been just to quick to give someone a dismissive wave – like there was no risk at all.

Yet, he desperately needed to get his empress back. It had become something akin to an obsession. He might be sailing under another flag now. But he would never give up looking for the rightful empress. Yes, she had disappeared to protect herself. Yes, she had not been seen in twenty years but she might just have been kidnapped and taken away by some ship. (Not that he actually believed that. He was not that much of a fool.)

The Ice Flower's main port was on a deserted island where the pirates had, along the years, build not only a mansion but also a small town. They had been in the business for twenty years and the town had grown. Pirates who had formerly sailed under their flag but had retired had often not wanted to leave – or their bounty had been too high to lead a life in safety – and so the village had grown into a city. On top of the hill was the mansion, a white building, where the captains and their most trusted crew members slept and lived when they were actually home.

By the mansion, a single ship was anchored. It was white, too, and the princess could read the golden letters. Iced Bloom. Fastest ship on the seven seas if the rumours were to be believed – and they were true. There was indeed no faster ship than the Iced Bloom. Neither the Excalibur nor the Lamia nor the Thor were as fast as the first ship of the fleet.

It was a ship that was suited for a queen.

And the captain, the leader of the Ice Flower pirates was indeed a queen. No, she was even an empress. Urania of the Rosenboom house had been brought up to rule and to lead. It was her blood, her destiny. And while people could take her throne, her dignity and her country away from her, they could not steal her destiny.

Because things did not work that way.

After she had vanished, twenty years ago, the empress-to-be had stolen a ship of her own country's fleet. She had steered it before, under her only true friend's instructions, then. Now, she owned the ship along with twenty-three other ships – and along with her subordinates, she owned the biggest part of the seven seas.

But ruling the seas did not make a woman happy, not if she had gained her freedom by sacrificing all her happiness, all that had ever mattered to her.

She had once promised that they would go down together, that they would never have to part ways because "Hey, I will be empress and I will choose my advisers myself" and that they would stay a team until they would die. She had tried, she really had. She had never wanted to get him into the crossfire. She had been crown princess and she had wanted to protect her people and that had included him. And so all that was left for her was to say that she was still sorry, even after twenty years. It had not been easy. It had not been easy to board the ship that brought her to a place where she had seen the abyss in a human's heart. It had not been easy to return – only to steal the only ship she could steer, then.

When she had asked him to be her best friend forever because being a crown princess was about the loneliest thing in the world, she had not thought that she would have to break the promise, that she would have to let go one day.

Her family's motto was "Honour. Luck. Duty." and she had never heard something more ironic because all she could think of was that her life was a tragedy, that if the bards would ever sing songs about her that it would be sad songs. She was feeling like the world's most negative person but she could truly only think of the worst things – and she had hurt many people on her ways, both on the way that had led to her fall and now on her way to regain what was taken.

She had broken promises and the others could not know or they would no longer believe that her word was worth anything. And she hated this. She could deal with being a criminal. She could deal with injuries.

But she could not deal with having broken her word. But she could not deal with being chased by an old friend, by a friend who had no idea that the person he was looking for did no longer exist.

She stared at her glass and exhaled. "God damn you, Gildarts," she whispered. "I will never let you catch me. The princess you knew died twenty years ago."


	3. what a mess

**_what a mess_**

**Characters**: Elfman Strauss, Evergreen, Sherry Blendy, Chelia Blendy, Lyon Vastia, Laxus Dreyar and Cana Alberona

**Summary**: Seriously, what was the lady thinking?

* * *

On the Thor, the usual argument was taking place. Elfman Strauss and Evergreen Raijin were rarely agreeing with each other and argued whenever they were not eating or drinking or sleeping – which roughly translated into all the time. The brunette woman had been, which was a more or less open secret not only onboard the Thor but on all the ships of the Ice Flower, a rich family's maid somewhere in Cerasis before she had been fired for a crime she had not committed. With nowhere else to go, she had been found by Elfman and out of the goodness in his heart, the man had asked her to come with him.

And so Evergreen had found herself as second chef on the Thor, a ship of the Ice Flower's fleet.

It was a ship with the highest amount of female crew members. There was Cana Alberona, a sometimes crude woman with long brown hair who was the first mate. There was Mirajane Strauss, Elfman's sister, who was the main chef and had a nasty temper when angered. And there was Lisanna, Mirajane's younger sister, who was the treasurer of the ship.

They were like a family, Evergreen sometimes thought. Freed and Bixslow were always fighting over the weirdest things. Elfman was simply Elfman and this meant that he annoyed Evergreen a lot but she did not know why it was okay somehow. Cana was the annoying but sometimes very helpful daughter of an admiral who had run away from home for some reason and had, upon joining the Ice Flower pirates, been placed on the Thor.

But even the resident fortune teller (and her predictions were usually frightening precise) could not keep Evergreen and Elfman from fighting – though some suggested that she had betted on them somewhere. It was common knowledge that the Ice Flower pirates had many betting pools.

And as Evergreen poked Elfman's chest in her rage – and she was really always angry –the man finally grabbed her wrist and gently lowered it.

"Calm down, Ever," he said.

"Calm down?" she shrieked, hands on her hips. "We just got a message – a message that our fleet is involved into the kidnapping of Cerasis' princess! How am I supposed to stay calm?"

"I thought you'd like to meet a real princess," he shrugged. "It's not a manly wish to meet a real life princess but sure, whatever pleases you."

"You fool – did you remember that I am from Cerasis? What if the princess remembers the crime I was framed for?" she hissed. "And of course, my wishes will never be manly because I am no man! Just realise that I am a woman!"

"Well, of course I realise that. It's kinda hard not to."

"Elfman."

He turned his head, only to see the first mate shaking her head. "But it is really obvious, Cana. Just take a look at her dress."

In the kitchen, Mirajane slapped herself as she heard the splashing noise and the yelling on deck. Evergreen had once more thrown Elfman into the ocean. It was high time that they got married and got their issues sorted out properly.

* * *

Chelia had nearly fallen asleep at her cousin's side as footsteps resounded in the hallway. Sherry tensed up, fingers itching for the blade she usually kept hidden in her belt but as she had worn a different dress the day they had gotten kidnapped, her knife was not there. So she sat up straight and presented the world the fiercest face known in her homeland.

She nearly cracked however when she heard a soft chuckling noise. In the door, clearly amused, stood Lamia's captain. The young man had weirdly silver hair and wore clothes which were fitting for a nobleman yet they showed ink stains.

"Good evening, Crown Princess," he greeted as he closed the door behind him. "And princess Chelia, of course as well. I apologise for the way my first mate must have scared you when you first awoke. I had hoped that a woman might be present yet Levy was busy in the infirmary and Juvia had to work. But I see that you have survived having to see Gajeel at first."

"I have no idea what you believe but not all princesses are dainty little things that faint a lot," she said as she crossed her arms. "However, I'd like to know who I am talking to."

"Ah," the man said with a short nod. "Lyon Vastia, captain of the Lamia and former first mate of the Ice Bloom – and currently your kidnapper. I will be your unwelcome host until we reach our destination, the Rosengarten."

"You are certainly an interesting pirate as you don't speak like one," she said.

"Could be because not everyone curses like Gajeel," he said, a smirk playing around his lips. "You will see that quite a few among us are former nobles. Juvia, you have met her. She belonged to a family of lower nobility and was brought up to be a lady. Then, boom, a big wave came and took away her family and a future. She was left with more debts than she could pay in her lifetime as her family had been betrayed beforehand. Gajeel found her when she was ten and brought her to us. Ever since, the fleet got the best navigator on all the seven seas."

"I thought the Ice Flower only ruled five of the seven seas?" she asked.

"We got the SerenianOcean under our control," he said. "And that's not only the biggest and most dangerous ocean but also the ocean with more hidden treasures than anything. The Thor, a relatively new ship in our fleet, has been tasked to collect them. A proverb among pirates says that the crew that got the Serenian, got all the oceans."

"I have only heard about the ocean."

"It's a nice place," he said. "If we had the time for a detour, I'd ask Juvia to take us there first. But no, we need to get to the Rosengarten. And mother dearest gets a mean temper when she had to wait. We already had to make a slight detour because of the Fiorean marine ships."

Chelia lazily opened her left eye. "What makes the SerenianOcean so lovely, Mister Pirate?" she asked tiredly as she sat up, still clinging to her cousin.

"Do you know the legend?" he asked, sitting down on a chair. "The Serenian and the PhilippianOcean are named after a pair of lovers. The woman was a lady of great intelligence and a rather hot-burning temper but she was somehow unable to express herself properly. He was a pirate, a pirate king even – the only one to ever rule all of the seven seas completely. As fate wanted it, he happened to save her life as her ship sunk and she nearly drowned. His crew was small and many were rather superstitious about having a woman onboard – yet as time passed on, she started to map out the ocean they were sailing. And they fell in love and as legends say. However – the marine caught up with them and sunk their ship, right in the passage between the both unnamed oceans. He died pushing her over into the calmer ocean, the one we nowadays know as the PhilippianOcean. She barely survived yet she never talked about what she saw, only finished to map out the SerenianOcean. She carried a child, a child that became the first king of Crustallum. That's why even today, being a pirate is not a crime in Crustallum."

"Because the founder's father was one?" Chelia asked, her eyes wide and shining.

"Yes," the captain said. "The young king named the oceans after his parents – and the passage in between the Fate's Pass because it forever keeps them apart. His father's body was never found and his mother, well, one day she walked into the sea named after her lover and never returned. And today – and Juvia can prove that – the weather on the oceans is exactly the same. If the Serenian is experiencing a storm, so is the Philippian."

"It's a sad story," Sherry said softly.

"Yes – but the both oceans are not only the most dangerous to sail but also those where the water is of the most beautiful shade of blue, a shade quite alike to the colour of your eyes, Crown Princess," he said with a bow. "But if you think that this story is a sad one, let Juvia tell you the tale of the Jaded Silver Line, a route that connects the PhilippianOcean with the SkySeas."

"Legends are often sad and tragic," the older princess muttered, cheeks blooming red as she heard his off-handed compliment. "We have some really sad ones in Cerasis as well."

"I don't doubt this," he said. "Now I must leave you. We will reach the Rosengarten in the morning. Feel free to explore the ship a little in the meantime – and try not to worry. My mother is a kind woman and she usually has her good reasons for whatever she does."

* * *

"Freed says we will reach the port in twelve hours."

Laxus Dreyar, captain of the Thor and thus superior of the ship's crew, tiredly turned his head and nodded. "Anything else, Cana?" he asked.

"Yes," the brunette woman said as she leaned against the door. "Do something about Elfman and Evergreen. It's so obvious that the man carries a torch for Lady Stone but without a good push, he ain't gonna make his move anytime soon. Be a good captain and be that push."

"I missed the memo that made you number one of the ship," the blond man said.

"I am first mate on this ship and as you may remember, you picked me for my uncanny ability to motivate you to take action when you are lazing around. Also, the job of upholding discipline falls under my jurisdiction," she said, slipping back into what her crew mates had dubbed 'lady admiral speech' in reference to her father's position. "In other words, either you make them get back in line or I will do it – and I cannot promise that you will like the results of my methods."

"Like, a pregnancy?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.

"I never thought of that," she admitted with a shrug. "But yeah, it's quite likely."

"Was I drunk when I made you first mate?" he groaned.

"You were. Because if you remember, we had that drinking contest. I outdrank Freed and you said if I could outdrink you as well, which I still can, I'd be the first mate instead of him. And as you remember, I won."

"Yes, I do remember. And my head still aches from that day," he said as he sighed. "So you want me to make sure that Elfman and Evergreen stop fighting? Can't you just go ask Mira?"

"Who will just lock them into the storage closet again? Yeah, because that's so happening."

"Look, it's not like anything bad happened."

"Other than Lisanna wanted to gauge out her own eyes? Yes. No problem."

"Look, I will … make sure that this want happen again. But unless you really want me to take action, I give you the full authority over this … situation. Just … play on the low keys."

She rolled her eyes, flung her hair over her shoulder and rushed away.

"That woman," the captain said as he shook his head.


	4. the dream isn't done

**_the dream isn't done_**

**Characters**: Many of the Ice Flower Pirates, Sherry Blendy, Chelia

**Summary**: It has only just begun.

* * *

They reached the island within the passage known as ShadowPass with the first daylight. Juvia who had stayed up all night as the ShadowPass was a dangerous part of the sea looked tired as she arrived for breakfast – because they ate on board before they left the ship. Yet the navigator was always rather cheerful and Gajeel remarked that it was because she would finally, after three long weeks, return to her original ship and – which caused the blue-haired woman to blush – her captain. Levy scolded the black-haired man then, told him to stop teasing their friend.

Sherry and Chelia easily laughed along as Lyon muttered something about everyone being in denial. The princesses who had formerly been scared of their fate had nearly forgotten about their status as prisoners because even with Gajeel being rude unless Levy hit him with a book and Juvia ranting about things they did not understand, it felt far more warm than the palace back home. It was nice to be taken seriously for a change, to be asked whether they actually wanted to do something. Sherry had never known that she liked to chat about books (and Levy had a huge collection of interesting books that told tales of faraway places) and Chelia sat with Juvia in the crow nest, wearing a pair of pants borrowed from the original navigator of the ship and just marvelled at the beauty of the sky.

"It's time to go now," Lyon said as he rose and wrapped his cape around himself. "Crew, we will all go see my mother. I still have no idea on why we received the orders we did receive so we will have to find it out together."

This was the best explanation why people like Gajeel who generally were not those to accept a superior or Levy who was too smart to follow anyone were in this crew. Gajeel accepted Lyon because Lyon was no pretender who claimed to know something when in truth, he was just as clueless as everyone else. And Levy liked being consulted, asked for help. Lyon did that.

"Alright," Juvia said as she rose, her skirt rustling.

Sherry was awed as she saw the village surrounding the pirates' port for the very first time. The people seemed so friendly, so normal – too normal to make it believable that they were indeed pirates. The houses were humble, true, but the clothes the townspeople wore were stable and clean and nice. Nothing akin to what Cerisan nobles would wear but better than what Sherry had seen in the rare times she had left the palace to go to the poorer quarters.

"Awww," Chelia said as she tugged on her older cousin's sleeve. "It's so beautiful here – and the weather is really, really nice. Let us stay here, yes?"

"I am not sure whether you haven't realised it yet, Lia, but the decision to leave is not mine," the crown princess said as she ruffled her cousin's hair.

"Ah, don't say those things. Juvia is sure that the lady has her reasons for this. Oh, and welcome to the Rosengarten," Juvia said cheerfully as she clasped her hand around Sherry's wrist. "You will surely like it here – we grow our own food, it's far tastier than anything else."

"True that," a scarlet-haired woman said as she nodded at Gajeel who was walking next to the navigator. "Did you hear that the Salamander engaged the Blue Raven in combat, again?" she asked, a little more serious now.

"With Dragneel as captain of the boat, it doesn't surprise me," the first mate said with a shrug.

"I will never understand what possessed mother to make him the captain," the silver-haired captain said quietly. "He is entirely unfit to lead a complete crew."

"Will it cheer you up to learn that Lucy is doing that?" the redhead asked with a chuckle.

"That oversized doll ain't much of a leader, truth be told," Gajeel said with a sigh. "She's good with the maps – nowhere as good as Juvia, sure – but yeah, she's a better captain than Dragneel will ever be."

"Gajeel's flattery is very kind," Juvia said as she clapped her hands. "How was Erza's trip?"

The red-haired woman who carried an impressive amount of swords on her belt merely shrugged. "I got nothing against Wendy, she's a cute doll, but I prefer to have my own navigator back soon. But as the Excalibur is on the horizon already, I will have him back under my sails soon," she said. "And I am sure that Lyon is happy to get his navigator back, right?"

"Hmh," the man said. "Ah well, while Juvia is a lovely companion, her constant talking about my dearest brother can get annoying after a while," he muttered with a quirky smile. "But hadn't you said we'd reach the Rosengarten after Gray, Juvia?" he inquired.

"Juvia has never been on the Lamia for a prolonged time before," the navigator said with an apologetic smile. "She had not known that the Lamia is the second fastest ship after the Bloom."

"Nevermind," the woman called Erza said with a dismissive wave. "So, I hope you will like it here, Princess Sherry, Princess Chelia. If my crew gets the permission, we will gladly let you stay aboard of the ship. The may not be the fastest ship in the fleet but we sail fast and we always reach our destination. Also, we are the most peaceful crew."

"She lies," Lyon said which came as a surprise as the captain was usually rather silent and rarely butted into a conversation. "She seems all nice and peaceful now and she is, too – but once she gets her hands onto some alcohol, she gives the SerenianOcean on a stormy day a run for its money. Erza is a good captain, fair, too. But she is a terrible drinker."

"Why, you foul-mouthed—"

"Ya're scaring the princesses, Scarlet," Gajeel said, showing a rare hint of empathy. "And the shrimp too, I bet."

Behind him, Levy rolled her eyes before she hit his shoulder with the book she carried. "So, Erza," she said nonchalantly as the black-haired man rubbed his shoulder. "Is the leader up home or on board?"

"On board," the woman said as she shrugged. "She isn't leaving the Bloom lately, something worries her, I'd say if I were one to assume what my superior is thinking."

So they made their way to the white ship with the white sails. It now made sense why this ship was the closest to the mansion. If the Pirate Queen got betrayed, she would be able to make it to her ship before the masses would make it to her.

On board of the ship, they found the Dame – as Gajeel and only Gajeel called her – and Sherry was surprised. The woman wore a red vest which bore the insignia of her fleet and a black dress befitting a noble woman. Her hair which was of an oddly deep shade of purple was in a braid and glittering ornaments adored it.

"We are back, mother," Captain Lyon said as he crossed his arms.

"I see this, son," the woman replied. "Welcome back, everyone. And welcome, Princesses."

Her voice held the accent of Crustallum's fallen nobility and the way she wore her hair reminiscent to a crown added to the faint suspicions. Sherry was no Levy who read people the same way she read books but she had spend the past twenty years around nobility and so it was nearly an insult that someone of noble origin tried to hide it from her.

"Thank you," Sherry said as she bowed her head. "Forgive me for being rude but I'd prefer having a name to a face."

"Ah well, the name's Ur, ruler of – six seas by now. Natsu managed to bring the Jaded Silver Line under control and so that means that the way to Crustallum from the Southern side is ours now," the woman said as she sat down. "Please, everyone. Have a seat. The first mate of the Thor has an important report to make which will also explain why we had to kidnap the crown princess."

A brunette woman with long wavy hair stepped out of the shadows and bowed shortly. "Three weeks ago, when the Thor arrived late at night, we brought more than just new treasures we had found in the SerenianOcean," she started. "Thanks to Mirajane, we had gained the knowledge that the country of Brago, our personal archenemy, had decided to broaden their influence on the landparts as they had lost their last pass to the … Resistance called Ice Flower." She stopped for a second. "Mirajane's report was enough to tip off those informed about the incident of twenty years ago so we set sails back to Rosengarten to report the story to Ur."

"Don't keep us waiting, woman," a black-haired man said curtly as he flopped down on a chair.

"Nice to see you as well, Gray," the woman snapped yet she continued. "Mirajane told the captain and me that Brago would repeat their old technique to bring countries under control. By forcing the crown princess of Cerasis under a marriage contract, they wanted to control the country. Because of Mirajane's general trustworthiness, Ur decided to send the Lamia to kidnap the princess and her cousin before she could reach Brago."

Sherry gasped, leaning forward. "W-what?" she asked, voice hollow and terrified.

"Yes," the pirate queen said softly, her voice laced with empathy and understanding. "And Cana just revealed the true purpose of the Ice Flower. We are less pirates than fighters of the resistance, of the resistance against Brago. We will bring them to their knees – and believe me, that you were kidnapped will set the wheels in motion."

"Which still begs one question," the black-haired man called Gray smirked.

"Oh shut up," Lyon muttered under his breath. "What can possibly be important right now?"

"Why did you send Lyon instead of me? The Excalibur is better suited for such manoeuvres but no, you rather had Juvia navigating a ship she had never navigated before," the man went on, ignoring his brother. "So yes, why the Lamia and not the Excalibur?"

"Oh, Gray," the leader said with a sigh. "You are impatient and rush into battle without thinking first a lot. So I rather send someone who thinks first."

"Madam Ur," Sherry said, sounding far braver than she felt. "I thank you for rescuing both me and my cousin. I will be in your debt for a long time."

"Ah, don't you worry about debts," the woman said friendly. "I have been playing this game for a long time. Do you want to know the ultimate goal of this game? Controlling all the seven seas is crucial for the endgame. Crucial for freeing Crustallum. The Civil War is less a civil war than Brago's troups fighting the population of a country that is loyal to the death. I am, as you probably already realised, from Crustallum. I have been watching my people get murdered for twenty years. My patience has nearly ran out. Yet – reclaiming what was lost is impossible at the moment. Impossible for Ur, the pirate queen, and impossible for Urania, the crown princess."


	5. i'm not a perfect person

**_i'm not a perfect person_**

**Characters**: Gajeel Redfox, Levy McGarden, Sherry Blendy and Juvia Lockser

**Summary**: Not all stories had happy endings but people still tried.

* * *

He sighed as he rested his forehead against the door. "I know you are in here," he said, tired and angry with himself and so very confused because no one else was mad with him and he could not stand this because what he had done was so terrible that he deserved their anger, their wrath. He deserved being kicked off the ship and into the ocean.

"So why are you avoiding me?" she asked, hands on her hips and hazel eyes blazing. I am not stupid. You haven't been the same in weeks, Gajeel. What happened on that island?"

"I asked the dame to release me of my duties," he said, for once talking properly because no matter how hard he pretended to be a dangerous pirate with no manners, his upbringing from a long time ago was still etched into his mind. "You see…"

She did not let him end the sentence. "You did what?" she hissed. "You promised to stay."

"That was before I messed up. The reason why we haven't seen the Black Raven snooping around lately?" he laughed bitterly. "I messed up. I had one job – feeding them information so that they wouldn't get suspicious … but now they know that the dame is going to Crustallum soon, that she can't stay away much longer. So you can bet that they got the marine."

"Ur wouldn't suspend you for something like that. Ivan is a bastard, a sneaky one at that."

"That he manoeuvred me into a position where I could only reveal that I am a spy or tell him that the dame is indeed leading an attack against Crustallum. Then again, he probably knew that already. The Trimens was scouting out the coastline for a while after all…"

"Listen up," she said, hands firmly on his cheeks. "I am saying this just once: Ur knew that you'd slip at some point. And I remember how she gave you the order to come back safely at any price. She can deal with the Ravens. We have dealt with them before. We can do it again.

"Ya know, shrimp, you are pretty much the best woman around here. If I get bumped off, just know – it was quite the honour to work with ya."

"Don't say things like that. I have been with the Lady for the past eight years and I cannot remember that she ever had someone take a swim with the sharks," she said calmly. "And you won't be the first one. If there is something I am really good at, it is talking."

"Yeah, that's true."

* * *

"What's the story behind the Jaded Silver Line?" Sherry asked, arms crossed as she leaned against the door to Juvia's map room.

The navigator sighed as she turned around. "Captain Lyon mentioned it then, Juvia presumes?" she asked tiredly, hazel eyes hiding a certain expression of sadness and worry. "It's not a happy story, no, not a happy story at all. A few hundred years back, there was a descendant from the only pirate who ever ruled all the seven seas. She – and yes, this pirate was just as much a pirate as Juvia herself – was attempting to bring all the seven seas under her control. She was, from what history tells us, doing quite a good job at it. She had four ships under her flag and she blindly trusted her crew. Her first mate was also a woman and they were a great team, just like Erza and Mirajane were back in the days.

But when they sailed down the Silver Line, the crews rebelled against their captain. So the first mate died protecting her captain, bringing down the leaders of the rebellion with her. She took her last breath just when the sun went back up, after a night full of terrors. Usually, a new day is a sign of new hope for sailors on all oceans. To the captain, it was no such good omen.

She forever regretted the day she lost her friend and died, quite ironically, a few years later at Hope's Peak. She and her first mate are said to haunt the Jaded Silver Line to the day, causing the fog and all those dangerous things. No sailor in his right mind would ever set sails to that place."

"Have you ever been there?" Sherry asked before she could stop herself. "I am sorry – I just got the feeling that wherever it's dangerous, at least one ship of the fleet has been to."

"Juvia has indeed been there. Once. It was the one time the lady lost a ship. The Sea Shell sunk that day – because Juvia miscalculated something," the woman said, bitterness and anger seeping into her voice. "Juvia was the navigator of the ship first and she loved her crew. She loved talking with Meredy and Ultear. Then, the ship hit the rock – a rock Juvia should have seen. If the Iced Bloom had not been with us that day, everyone would have died, would have drowned."

"I am sorry to have asked."

"Don't be – Juvia should have known better than to claim that she would be able to navigate them safely through the Jaded Silver Line – especially as she knew the dangers. But – it was Juvia's very first big trip and she wanted, she wanted to show Lady Ur that she was ready, that she could help the Ice Flower," the navigator said darkly, fists clenching by her sides. "But Juvia lacked the experience to predict the sea there. And – she saw it."

"What did you see?" Sherry asked, her sea blue eyes widening.

"The ship – the ghost ship of the Jaded Silver Line, the Sea Empress," the other woman whispered, her already pale face considerably paler than usual. "It may sound crazy and Princess Sherry most likely does not believe Juvia but – Juvia saw it. And she saw the first mate by the steering wheel, she saw the silver hair. She **_saw_**."


End file.
